Winter Is Coming
by whywouldudodat
Summary: Sonara is the eldest Stark daughter and she wished she wasn't. She was told all her life she would marry a lord and become a dutiful wife unlike her brothers who got any real responsibility. When the opportunity to be betrothed to Joffrey and become Queen one day arises she starts her journey to become the woman with real power she always wanted to become.
1. Chapter 1

Sonara had just cut herself a slice of bread when Bran burst into the dining hall. In his arms was a small grey wolf pup whining softly.

"Come quick, we've brought back a surprise for you!" he exclaimed.

The Stark children looked at each other with surprise. Arya quickly pushed aside her chair and took off at Bran's heels. Rickon ran after her and after another hesitant look to Sansa, Sonara took off after them with a polite 'Would you excuse me?' to Septa Mordane. Sansa looked at her siblings retreating forms and decided to follow them before they were out of sight.

"Excuse me" She said to Septa Mordane. Then called out "Wait for me!".

Sonara waited impatiently until Sansa had come within a metre of her and they both took off running after Arya and Rickon while Septa Mordane stared at them with a shocked expression.

Bran led all of them to the door of the stables. When he got to the door he signaled for the rest of the children to stop. Once all of them had caught up to him he signaled again for them to be quiet and slowly opened the door. The sharp smell of hay and dung hit their noses. They walked silently through the door and in a pile of hay lay a litter of wolf pups.

"One for each of us" Bran whispered. "Sonara, this one is meant for you. Your eyes are the exact same shade as hers!"

He grabbed hold of her hand and led her to a dark grey pup nestled in the hay sleeping. She extended her hand and used one finger to stroke a line from his head down to his nose. The pup blinked his eyes a few times before he could open his eyes properly and she could see that he was right. The pup had the same grey-green eyes that she did. She tensed her small body for a moment but relaxed after a few strokes and went back to sleep.

"Rickon, not that one!" Sansa whisper-shouted.

Sonara turned her head around and saw Rickon hugging a huge black pup tightly around the neck. He was intimidating but she could see that he was harmless.

"Oh please Sansa, he's the biggest softie of the litter. We need a big, strong wolf to protect our baby brother." she said grinning at her brother who was obviously already in love with him.

"I was thinking he could be Arya's pup. Rickon's the baby at the moment but he'll be able to protect himself when he's older. Arya is only a girl, she can't fight" Robb explained and after a second he said "now that I think about it the next biggest should go to Sansa then you"

Arya looked extremely offended by his logic and opened her mouth to protest but Jon spoke up before she could.

"You better watch out now Robb, Arya's going to show you just how well she can defend herself." he said smirking.

"I think I can defend myself against Arya" Robb said.

"There's no point trying to tear Rickon away from him or Arya away from her pup. Besides if I am correct these are direwolves and if a litter of them with the exact number of pups as there Stark children show up after centuries then there is no bigger sign from the gods that we need their protection _now_. Not when Rickon is old enough to fight for himself." Sonara said.

Robb nodded his head in reluctant agreement. Now that they all knew which pup was who's Sonara took the moment to look around at them. Sansa had of course chosen the most delicate, poised wolf of them all. Her's was the second smallest besides Jon's white wolf. The colour of him set him apart from the rest just like Jon amongst his siblings. Bran's was medium sized and grey with yellow eyes. Robb had a rather large wolf that's size was only beat by Rickon's massive pup.

It was a lovely moment between the siblings. With the arrival of the wolves and the promise of winter soon coming Sonara had an unsettling feeling that they weren't going to have such a nice moment between all of them for a very long time if ever. She pushed away the feeling and instead focused on the pup she was stroking.

His dark grey fur matched the colour of the Winterfell sky when night was approaching. Her name came to her then. The wolf would be named Dusk.


	2. Chapter 2

Ned started his announcement when Arya finally showed up to dinner. With all of his children present he told them the news.

"King Robert and his family are on their way to Winterfell" he said.

All of them stopped eating and looked up from their food. They were all surprised. Why would the King visit cold, harsh Winterfell?

"What is the reason for his visit?" Sonara asked.

"Someone that is very close to our hearts has recently died."

She decided to end it at that. As much as she felt for her father and as much as she was curious, she was not the sort of person who comforted other people. Thankfully Rickon who lacked tact, being a three year old asked who it was.

"Lord Jon Arryn. He was a father figure to both of us." he said.

She knew very little about their relationship through stories of the war but she knew him for something else. He was the King's Hand. She was a smart girl and she could put the pieces together. King Robert was riding to Winterfell to ask her father to be the new King's Hand. After all the King is a very busy man. He wouldn't ride all the way to The North just to pay his respects. She silently ate her dinner and contemplated the news. Suddenly she had an idea.

"Father, is the Prince coming with him?" she asked.

"I believe so" he said.

* * *

Sonara woke long before anyone else did and was too excited to go back to sleep. Today was the day that the King and his family arrived. She had thought of how this day would go for two weeks and the day was finally here. The first part of her plan was to look the best she possibly could.

The first thing she did was take a thorough bath. When she was done she arranged her dark hair into a complicated braided style that she only did on special occasions. Her dress was a deep purple that brought out the green in her grey-green eyes. When she looked in the mirror she thought for the first time she could be as beautiful as Sansa and her mother.

The next part of her plan was simple: to seduce Joffrey.

* * *

Sonara stood among her siblings outside of the dining hall waiting for The King and his family to appear for dinner. She was right in the centre of the line so that she would be the focus of their visitors eyes or more specifically the Princes. Robb and Sansa were on her left and right and her parents were on the very left waiting to greet their guests. She kept fiddling with her gown making sure there were no creases or tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.

Behind the gate they could hear the sound of footsteps and chattering. The children all immediately went quiet even little Rickon. Sonara straightened her posture and put on the dazzling smile she had been practising all week in the mirror.

When the gate was opened she Sansa's jaw drop at the sight of them especially Prince Joffrey. He was a tall handsome boy and he looked nothing like the boys they were used to in Winterfell. Mostly because nobody could afford to dress in the embroidered velvet's and silk's that the Prince sported. His father was dressed in similar clothing while the guards escorting them wore polished silver armour and chainmail. The sight of them was impressive and Sonara might have even done the same if the gesture didn't look so unattractive.

They approached on their horses and when the Prince saw the family his gaze drifted to Sansa for a second and then shifted to Sonara. She made sure her smile was perfectly in place and just as rehearsed. One side of his mouth turned up into a smile that bordered on a smirk. Sansa huffed and she felt her eyes burning into the side of her head.

The men on the horses took a moment to climb down from them. She let her smile fall for a moment while no one was looking but when she heard Robb scoff beside her she found that he had been watching the entire exchange. She turned to him and he lifted his eyebrows at her. She shrugged in response.

Her smile was right back on when the King turned to greet them. He started on the side that her parents were on. He stood in front of Ned and they both broke into a big childish smile that none of his children had seen before from him.

"Your grace" he said bowing.

"Get up Ned. How long has it been?"

"Too long"

They embraced and the King moved onto Catelyn and gave her the same bear hug that he gave Ned. She seemed thrown off guard but she smiled all the same. He went on saying things to her siblings like 'This boy's going to be a strong one when he grows up' or 'You must be...'. When he got to the second half of the line he asked for all of the girls names and said 'My, aren't you girls beauties'. By the time he was done the Queen and the rest of her children had gotten out of the carriage.

"Well everyone is waiting for our entrance. We'll pair off and escort you into the hall" Ned said.

The most important people in Winterfell were gathered in the dining hall awaiting the royals to attend the feast. Her father had sent someone off on the King's Road to see when they would be arriving and they arranged a day for the feast to take place. The Queen and her children looked like attending a feast was the last thing they wanted to do after the long journey.

"Of course" the King said and paired off with Catelyn by linking arms with her.

Sonara got the idea and turned to escort Joffrey but she found Sansa had got to him the moment she heard the words 'pair off'. Her plan wasn't getting off to a good start. She looked around but Arya had already linked her arm with Tommen's looking very uncomfortable and Rickon would walk with Bran. Ned noticed her predicament.

"Sonara take Prince Joffrey's other arm. I can't have my eldest daughter walk the hall alone." Ned said.

"Of course father" Sonara said.

She walked up to Joffrey and Sansa with the best grace and posture she could manage. Sansa looked like she was fuming. She was practically scarlet. When she reached them she curtsied and linked her arm in his.

"My prince, you look very handsome tonight" she said.

It worked like a charm. Joffrey broke into an arrogant smile. Now she knew how she needed to play it. He liked his ego being stroked so compliments would go a long way.

"As do you" he said.

First went in the Queen and Ned then the King and Catelyn. Rickon and bran were the first of the children to enter the hall then went Robb and Princess Myrcella then they went in. The hall was the fullest she had ever seen it. There were plenty of people on the large rectangular tables. The lowest class sat closest to the door and so on until the table right at the back where the royals and the Starks would sit. Hundreds of pairs of eyes watched them make their way through the center aisle. Sonara wondered if this was how it felt wherever you went if you were a royal. She loved how it felt. She got a rush from the power their respect and fear brought her. It made her even more determined that she would marry Joffrey one day.

They reached the table and took their seats. The seating went Ned, Cersei, Sonara, Joffrey, Sansa, Robb, Myrcella on one side and on the other side was Catelyn, Robert, Rickon, Bran, Arya and Tommen. Sonara was hoping she would be on the side of Joffrey that Sansa sat at because she would much rather sit with her brother than the intimidating Queen. She supposed however that she had best give Cersei a good first impression of her since Joffrey's parents would have more say in his betrothal than him.

After everyone was seated Ned began his toast. She wasn't listening to it but pretended she was paying attention while she thought of how she would manage to impress the people sitting on both sides of her. She had a long night ahead of her.

* * *

 **A/N: I know about 50% of this fanfiction so far has taken place in the dining hall but I promise next chapter will be the last (in Winterfell anyway). This chapter cut off strangely but I felt like it was going on too long and I still had a lot to add to this. Thanks for reading and remember to follow/favorite if you liked this story. Reviews would be appreciated too. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_Last Chapter:_

 _After everyone was seated Ned began his toast. She wasn't listening but pretended she was paying attention while she thought of how she would manage to impress the people sitting on both sides of her. She had a long night ahead of her._

Her father sat down and she snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at Cersei from the corner of her eyes. She had a tired smile on her face that somehow managed to look like a scowl. Her thoughts went to her lessons with Septa Mordane on how to properly introduce yourself. First you must curtsy. That wasn't possible while they were sitting. On to the next step, begin with addressing them with lord or lady. But was she to be called my Queen, Your Honour, or possibly just Lady Cersei? She settled on my Queen but she wasn't sure that was the proper name. What had she gotten herself into?

"Excuse me, My Queen. I would like to introduce myself. I am Sonara Stark"

She turned to Sonara and the false pretence of a smile dropped from her face leaving only a scowl. It made her want to turn away but she held her composure.

"Do not interrupt me while I am eating again girl" she said and went back to eating her food.

Her cheeks grew red with embarrassment. One discreet look around the table and she decided nobody had seen what happened. Even Joffrey hadn't noticed because he was saying something to Sansa. She couldn't decide if she was relieved by it or not.

She took a deep breath and cleared herself of embarrassment. After a while her cheeks didn't feel as hot and she felt calmer. A giggle from where Sansa was sitting snapped her out of her daze. She plastered the smile back on her face and turned to Joffrey.

"What is it that is so amusing?" she asked.

Joffrey turned to her and explained his story. "I was hunting with father and we had been tracking a huge boar all morning. Suddenly it came bursting out of the bushes and ran right into father's squire. It bowled him over and he was on his back. He looked ridiculous" he paused for a moment expecting her to laugh. She did laugh although she didn't think it was all that funny. "Our hunting party went straight ahead and in the chase I managed to find the boar trapped in a tangle of grasses and I plunged my knife right into his neck with all my strength. In one blow the boar stopped squealing and was dead."

"That is very impressive my prince. You must be very strong to slay that beast so." she said.

She didn't believe that the story was true but she went along with it.

"It was a beast!" he exclaimed in agreement. "It was as tall as this table and as wide as the length of both my arms." He said grinning.

"I imagine that you must slay many animals. You have the build of a true hunter."

He leaned in slightly closer to her and spoke in a quieter voice. "I particularly enjoy capturing smaller animals and prolonging their death privately. My father doesn't like when I do it."

She knew "prolonging their death" meant he tortured them. She was disgusted by this but she disguised her feelings and nodded, still smiling. It seemed that the prince was no daydream. She couldn't manage to say anything in response that wouldn't anger him so she faced forward and looked at the spread before her. The feast comprised of the best food that they had to offer. On the left side of her was chicken basted with apricots and herbs, her favorite dish. She put some on her plate but she found that she had no appetite. Her stomach was still turning from the thought of a small animal being tortured by the prince beside her. Her thoughts turned to Cersei again. Then back to Joffrey, then Cersei, then Joffrey. Suddenly she was finding it hard to breathe. She needed to get away from the hall.

"Would you please excuse me. I need to relieve myself" she asked her father.

He nodded and she stood and walked away from the table, restraining herself from running as fast as she could. When she reached the open doors she took a deep breath of the cool night air. The iciness entered her lungs and relieved her. She walked towards the stables to find Dusk. Her relief didn't last long when she started to think of what happened in the halls. Tears began to sting her eyes as she started to realise that the path to her goal wasn't straightforward and clear. There were bushes that's roses were beautiful until you approached them and cut yourself upon it's thorns and potholes that you didn't know were there until you happened upon one and tripped. She knew it would be difficult but this was supposed to be the easy part. The hard part was supposed to be ruling a kingdom. A horrible thought came to her then. What if this was the easy part? Did she really want to be Queen if it was this difficult? It was no wonder that Cersei is so bitter. She dried up her tears and told herself that she was supposed to take this time to calm herself not to make herself more panicked.

She looked to her left and saw the faint figure of Jon. She thought she saw a boy making a scene and running out of the hall earlier but she only now realised that it was Jon. She changed her direction to the courtyard. She decided that she should invite him to come with her. If Jon was upset then she was sure that he would find comfort in Ghost as well. As she got closer she realised there was another figure in front of him. A very small figure. The small man noticed her before Jon.

"You must be one of the stark children" He said.

"Yes, I am Sonara Stark" she said cautiously wondering who the man was. A moment later she realised. "my Lord Lannister" she added quickly.

"Did my sister scare you away?" he asked.

"Certainly not. It was a pleasure meeting the Queen." She said.

"You can drop the act. I imagine that smile is starting to hurt. There's nobody you need to impress here. Only a bastard and a dwarf." he said.

She did loosen her smile slightly.

"If you would excuse us, I would like to have a word with my brother" she said.

The dwarf nodded and turned away. He was a funny little man and she decided that she liked him. She turned to her brother when he was a fair distance away.

"I don't have much time now but would you like to come to the stables with me after the feast and visit Ghost and Dusk?"

He motioned to his side and she saw that Ghost was there the whole time. He had just been camouflaged in the snow. Disappointment filled her. If she was being honest to herself she only wanted to invite Jon so that he would comfort her.

"Oh" she said.

"I will come to the stables tonight if you really want me to" he said detecting her disappointment.

"Okay, I will see you tonight" she said.

She made her way back to the hall. Every part of her wanted to go back to Jon and let him comfort her but she forced herself forward.


	4. Chapter 4

Sonara wrapped her shivering body in her thickest coat. If the cold had managed to find it's way into the keep than the stables would be freezing. She silently crept out of her room and closed the door as quietly as she could manage. Her feet silently padded down the hallway, barely making a noise.

She had made it through the castle without encountering anyone until she reached the door that lead outside. There were two guards stationed at it just as she expected. She stayed hidden until she could make out their faces in the torch's lining the walls dim light.

The first man was a familiar face his name was Adrian. He was a really only a boy, only 17 and he often guarded this door. He got his high-ranked job through connections and not his dedication to protecting the Stark's and she knew she could convince him to let her leave. The man on his left was not someone she recognised. He was around his mid-twenties and he had a stern look on his face.

When she approached them she let her footsteps sound a bit louder so that it seemed less like she was sneaking around. She rearranged her face to look upset and desperate. The guards looked at her with curiosity.

"Please excuse me. I'm afraid I had the most awful dream. May I please go seek comfort in my dog? He is being kept in the stables and I would be ever so grateful if you would allow me to see him." She asked quietly.

The older man regarded her with doubt. Adrian however was more interested in the swell of her breasts. She hated to play it that way but she discreetly shouldered her coat off of her on one side to reveal her thin nightgown. The man fortunately had no interest in little girls and was unaffected. She didn't think she could handle both men staring at her without shivering in disgust.

"Go girl. Your father will punish me if he sees you out here." He said.

"Don't worry Alfred. I will escort the girl to the stables. Her father will only find out if we tell him." Adrian said.

Alfred hesitated but then slowly nodded. He was new and hadn't established his place in the guard yet. He did not want to upset the son of one of Eddard Stark's personal guards.

"If you are caught I'm telling them that it was all your choice and I had no part in it." He said.

"I won't get caught." He replied with an arrogant smirk. "My Lady." He said holding his arm out.

Sonara pulled her coat over her shoulder and wrapped herself properly once again. She then linked her arm with the boy's and let him escort her out of the keep. Cold air burst out from the open door. It felt like icy lashes being brought down on her face but she pushed on.

They made their way to the stable arm in arm. She didn't like huddling up so close to him but his body broke some of the wind before it hit her and the warmth of his body was too tempting. They reached the stable and he opened the door for her as she rushed inside. He went in after her and slammed the door shut. They both sighed in relief.

"Would you mind staying outside please? I would prefer if this was private."

"You want me to stand outside in the cold?" He asked incredulously

She nodded as sweetly as she could. She was starting to panic internally. Maybe she shouldn't have told him to wait outside but she couldn't have him waiting around while Jon and her have an intimate discussion. If she couldn't convince him she would have to go back to her room. She needed to talk to Jon. If she didn't talk to someone about everything she thought she might explode.

"Please do this for me Adrian." She said putting a hand on his chest.

"No" He said "Actually I ought to take you ba-"

She cut him off by pressing her lips against his. It was all she could think of doing in that moment to convince him. She pulled away to see a dazed look on his face. She had him right where she wanted him.

"Please for just a few minutes?" She asked biting her lip.

He nodded his agreement and left. She breathed a sigh of relief the moment the door shut. She was glad she could drop the sickeningly sweet facade. She made her way to where the pups rested. To her surprise Jon was already there, hidden behind a bale of straw. Ghost layed next to him, relaxed by the soft strokes Jon gave him. He didn't acknowledge her presence as she settled down next to Dusk. Instead his eyes remained focused on a spot on the wall. She ignored his strange behavior and instead closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of relaxation that she had lacked all day. She pulled herself out of her trance and focused on Jon instead.

"I don't have much time. Are you going to tell me why you stormed out of the hall?" She asked.

"I don't feel like sharing anything with you at the moment." He replied venomously.

She stared at him with her mouth agape. His eyes were still focused on the spot on the wall. He almost never lost his temper with her especially over seemingly nothing.

"Why are you acting like this?" She asked.

His temper blew and he snapped his head towards her. His glare fixed on her face.

"Why am I acting like this? What about you!" He shouted.

She had no idea what he was talking about. Her confusion quickly changed to anger. 'How dare he shout at me like that. I didn't do anything to him' she thought.

"Are you going to tell me what you're talking about or am I going to have to guess?" She shouted back.

At first he didn't say anything back. He went back to focusing on his spot and calmed himself down. He couldn't keep his thoughts to himself for long.

"At first I thought 'It's the Prince of course she's happy to be with him. It's not surprising that she's flirting with him a bit' but then you kept touching him and pretending to laugh at all his stories. I still didn't think much of it but now you're doing it with the guards too? Do you just go around kissing any boy to get what you want?" He scoffed.

"It's none of your business what I do or don't do!" She retorted.

"You can be so selfish and manipulative. Do you ever think of how your victims feel when you use them like that?"

"Well they feel pretty damn pleased from the looks of it. Why does it make you so angry anyway?"

He opened his mouth to fire another retort but closed it again and went back to his spot on the wall. He obviously didn't want to give up the reason and she couldn't figure it out herself. It wasn't as if he was saying all of it from a big brother perspective by the way he reacted. The reason clicked in her mind when that thought crossed it.

"But Jon you're my brother!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not your brother. I've looked into it." He said.

"What evidence have you found that suggests we don't share the same father?" She asked doubtfully.

"I overheard two old women gossiping about a man that was seen walking out from your mother's room late at night nearly fourteen years ago. They thought that it was a bit suspicious that his visit was nine months before your birth. Apparently he was an old friend of her and he had come to congratulate her on Robb's birth about a week before father came back to Winterfell. I followed the lead and found the logbook for the inn he was staying at. I found a matching name and date. _He did_ check in in the early hours of the morning and _it was_ a few days short of nine months before you were born. It makes more sense than the story that you were conceived 8 months before. I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd be hurt by it."

No way was she ever going to believe that story. It was not proof at all. It was just a story that Jon found to make sense of his twisted attraction for her. Her mother loved her father and even if she didn't she was too honourable to commit adultery. Nothing could make her cheat on her father.

"That doesn't prove anything. I was just born a month early." She argued.

"Babies that are born a month early almost always don't make it through birth. If they do they are at least some what unhealthy and small. You were completely healthy and average size, big even. I talked with Maester Luwin about it." He said.

"You're just grasping at straws." She said shaking her head. "I have to go."

She got up and started walking away but Jon continued.

"You know it's true. You just won't accept it. You don't look like father. You don't even really look like your mother either. You had to get your looks somewhere. You've told me you don't think you belong with your family"

She stopped walking away at that. She had shared her feelings with Jon about her family and how she didn't think she belonged. Where her family was honourable she was sneaky. Where her family was honest she was manipulative. There were too many differences to list. She always tried to be more like a Stark but it wasn't in her nature.

"You are not a Stark. You know it and I know it." He finished. "And... And I know you've felt something for me too" he added hesitantly.

It was true that she had... feelings before. She had always pushed it away though because he was her brother. She just dismissed them but now they were all resurfacing.

Her mind was a confused mess. Jon was making her doubt herself with truth but at the same time she so strongly believed that none of it was true. The easiest thing to do was just push all of her doubts aside and direct all her feelings at him. He was the one that made her feel this way after all. He hurt her with his lies. She turned back to him with tears building in her eyes determined to hurt _him_.

"You and I both know that _you_ are not a Stark. _You_ are a Snow. A bastard. How could I ever have feelings for someone like that?" She said.

He winced like her words had physically hit him. She almost felt regret that she used his worst weakness against him. Her fury was too great to really regret it though. What he had told her was something that hurt her in a way that she had never felt before. He made her doubt her whole life. All she wanted was for him to feel like she did and then worse.

Suddenly the door opened. In stepped Adrian shivering from head to toe. Jon was hidden from his sight. All he saw was Sonara standing in the middle of the stable with tears streaming down her face.

"Are you crying?" He asked dumbly.

She hastily wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm just-um-" she mumbled.

She looked up at his face and had an idea. It would certainly hurt him. She motioned him forward so that Jon could see them both clearly. He hesitantly stepped forward. Once he was right in front of her she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. This time when she kissed him there was no holding back. She put all of her anger into the passionate kiss. He matched her with equal enthusiasm. His hand traveled down her side and settled at her butt. It lasted for over a minute before she pulled away. Their foreheads rested on each other as they both panted for breath.

"We better go. The longer we're here the more likely we'll be caught" he reasoned.

He grabbed her arm and lead her towards the door. Before Jon could disappear from her view she sneaked a look at him. She felt a sick satisfaction when she saw the tear tracks running down his face and his tight fists in his lap.

That night she tossed and turned in her bed unable to sleep. After she had time to calm down she felt sorry that she hurt him so badly. If he was that upset that she pecked Adrian on the lips and flirted with Joffrey then she could only imagine how the little show she put on would have hurt him.

His feelings disturbed her because they made her think of all the times she felt the same way. Her feelings were the most convincing thing that made her doubt herself because they made Jon's words that she knew she wasn't a Stark true. How else could her feelings be justified besides her knowing deep inside that she wasn't a Stark? His words slipped in and out of her mind all night. ' _You are not a Stark... You are not a Stark... You are not a Stark...'_

* * *

 **I think this was my favorite chapter so far. So much drama! I know Sonara is a bitch but that's how I like her. She's going to be doing some shit that is a lot worse than this later on. However she will learn to become a better human being. Tell me in the reviews if you think Jon was right about her parentage or if he was just desperate to justify his feelings.**


	5. Chapter 5

Sonara knocked on the heavy wooden door that led to her father's chambers. It had only been a few days since the incident in the stable and she had been avoiding Eddard the entire time. She wasn't ready to look at him. But he had finally tracked her down after spending the day in hiding and got his squire to send for her. She heard him clear his throat.

"Enter"

She pushed open the door and closed it behind her as she entered. Sitting at a round table near the fireplace were her parents. She nodded at both of them before taking the third seat at the table.

"Mother, Father." she said in greeting.

She fiddled with her hands atop the desk wanting to concentrate on anything but the man before her. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment while Eddard tried to fathom how he would put his news into words.

"His grace has come to me with a proposal that concerns you." He said.

She just nodded in acknowledgement and continued to watch herself twiddling her thumbs.

"Sonara I have taught you to treat people with respect. Look at your father when he is speaking to you."

She let out a sigh and forced herself to look at him. The words that had been replaying in her mind all of last night returned to her. When she looked into his eyes she saw the familiar dark grey colour. Her own eyes were a type of grey but she did not get her eyes from him. Where his were the traditional almost-black-grey that that were typical of the Stark's her's were a foreign greenish light grey. If she didn't have the Stark eyes and she didn't have the Tully eyes whose was it that her eyes belonged to?

Her eyes flicked to the brown hair that lightly brushed his shoulders. She had dark hair as well but hers was an inky black. However she did look similar enough to him to convince herself that he was in fact related to her. She pushed her thoughts away as well as she could.

"He plans to unite our families together through marriage just as it would have been if he had married your Aunt Lyanna." He explains. "Now I would have liked my children to have more of a say in who they marry but it is a order from the King."

She sat up in her chair immediately. Suddenly much more interested in listening to what he had to say. She was hanging on his every word.

"He wants to marry Prince Joffrey to one of our daughter's. He seems rather insistent on it being you but it is not official. The Queen is determined that it must be Sansa-"

"And we know how the Lannister woman has a way with getting what she wants." Her mother added bitterly, her contempt with Cersei showing through.

Sonara had a calm look on her face but she was silently seething. Sansa couldn't become Joffrey's wife. Not after her careful planning. She did not have what it took to be Queen one day.

"Surely his Grace wouldn't allow that. As the eldest daughter I am far more valuable. I have the stronger claim to the North and Joffrey and I have already begun to bond. You said you wanted me to have a say in who I married and my heart is set on the Prince." She said, a bit of her temper leaking through and raising the volume of her speech.

"There is not anything I can do to he-" he started.

"You are his closest friend and soon you will be his hand surely he will take in your advice." She said loud enough that it was almost a shout.

"Sonara! You are acting like a temperamental child. Why is it that you are so intent on marrying the boy?" Catelyn asked.

Sonara bowed her head in pretend shame. She usually didn't lose her temper like this. She cursed herself for letting her anger get the best of her. Shouting was not the way to get what she wants as her younger sister Arya had yet to learn.

"I am truly sorry to the both of you." She said hoping she looked sincere.

Both of her parents nodded their approval at her apology.

"This behaviour is so unlike you my child. What has made you this way?"

She looked at him through her lashes trying her best to look meek and shy.

"Well, you see father... I have spent time with Joffrey and I have come to care for him very much. We have so many of the same interests and our conversation never grows dull. I think I will even grow to love him." She lied.

All of what she said was a lie. She hasn't spoken much to him in the past few days. She had been pre-occupied with avoiding Jon and her father to interact with anyone. She has nothing in common with him as far as she can tell and she almost certainly knows she couldn't love the arrogant, cruel boy.

The lie worked a charm on her parents. She knew that being forced to marry someone you didn't know was a topic that would gain her sympathy. They would want her to be happy. They gave each other a look and Ned sighed.

"I suppose I could talk to the King about this. I will not promise that he will listen however. His Queen is a greater influence on him than I am."

"Thank you" she said genuinely.

"You may leave now." Eddard said.

She exited the room without another word. When she entered the hall she thought about the conversation she just had. It was good news mostly. It meant that she had a better chance of becoming a queen then when she was just relying on her charm but she could not let Sansa become the Princess. She had no ambition. Her only reason for wanting the Prince so badly was to fulfill the fantasies that filled her head. She also refused to see that he wasn't exactly the man of her dreams. Sansa was delicate and proper and she wouldn't be able to handle him. Sonara didn't want to see her sister hurt.

Sonara on the other hand wanted to be Princess for the power that would come with being the Queen one day. She wanted to be the one that would clean up this mess of a world or at least be a part of it. Being a woman meant she would have to work harder than the rest competing for the throne but she never had a problem with working hard to get what she wants. Her reign would be the first steps to eliminate the unfairness of the government and the discrimination against certain groups of people.

Being Joffrey's bride were the first steps towards getting what she wanted. Ever since she was old enough to realise her suppression as a woman she wanted to destroy it. She wouldn't let herself get distracted by other things like she had recently. This is what she had always wanted and she wasn't going to let the opportunity pass her.


End file.
